


Not Tame

by NIGHTFURY



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 10:57:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16116977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NIGHTFURY/pseuds/NIGHTFURY
Summary: Lotor watches the Paladins calmly. At least, outwardly he looks calm. Inside he is screaming. Because if he makes one wrong move, he has no doubt they would kill him. Swiftly and without remorse.And he suspects that a few would do it with a smile on their face.(Or the 7 times Lotor was reminded that all Lions had claws, and the one time they turned those claws against him.)





	Not Tame

**Author's Note:**

> Me: Brain, this needs to stop.  
> Brain: Why? This is AWESOME!!!  
> Me: I have stuff to do tomorrow! I need sleep!  
> Brain: SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK!!! STORIES FOR ALL!!!  
> Me: No-  
> Brain: YES!!!  
> Me: NO-  
> Brain: CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP!!!  
> Me: FOR THE LOVE OF-someone send me Zquil. Now.
> 
> Anyway now that it is daytime and I've gotten some sleep, I can post this clean and edited version. Enjoy!

When he was younger, Prince Lotor found an old book of Altean culture hidden in what he learned later was his mother’s study. He stole it and hid it under his bed to read when he was alone. There was a chapter devoted purely to the symbolism of Altea. His favorite paragraph was that of lions.

 _The lion is the defender of faith, strength, valor, fortitude, and kingliness._ The book said. _Respect its claws, and its teeth. The lion is a symbol of Altea’s Justice, but do not mistake it for a tame beast. If it wants to, it will eat you._

Lotor is older now, and berates himself for not listening to that advice. If only he paid attention to the signs.

_(Lotor watches the Paladins calmly. At least, outwardly he looks calm. Inside, he is screaming. Because if he makes one wrong move, he has no doubt they would kill him. Swiftly and without remorse._

_And he suspects that a few would do it with a smile on their face.)_

* * *

**_Keith_ **

Lotor dances his ship through the empty black of space. The new pilot of the Black Lion is very good. Then again, Lotor has seen footage of what the Paladin could do in the Red Lion. He may be good, but the exiled prince is confident he can outfly him.

Then the idiot human starts shooting him.

Lotor has to force his ship into twists and turns he knows a normal Galran fighter would never be able to handle. It’s one of the toughest flights of his life, and he’s been in plenty of flights. The worst part is that the Black Lion won’t stop attacking. Lotor has to focus on dodging everything. If only the pilot would stop shooting and let him breathe for a dobash!

The thought gives Lotor an idea.

Later, after escaping from Voltron on Thayserix, he ponders over the whole encounter. Mostly, he’s frustrated over the behavior of the Black Paladin. He’s more wild than any creature Lotor has ever met.

He’s seen soldiers go feral before. Somehow, the new Black Paladin seems more ferocious. Primal. Deadly.

Lotor dismisses the fight later, pretending he was trying to get a measurement of the new Black Paladin’s skills. He admits to his generals he is impressed.

Secretly, he hopes he never has to fight the former Red Paladin again.

_(Lotor takes one look at the room and knows he won’t get his wish. Not when he is surrounded. Not when the room has their weapons focused on him. Especially not when the violet eyes of the half-Galra named Keith send cold shivers down his spine.)_

* * *

**_Lance_ **

It’s some time before Lotor learns Keith isn’t the only Paladin to be afraid of. Just because he wasn’t present on the Castle of Lions didn’t mean the danger was past.

It’s on his way to a mission briefing with all the Paladins when the current Red Paladin stops him outside the door.

“Lotor, can I have a word with you?” He asks politely. It only serves to alarm Lotor, and Lance has made it abundantly clear he does not like Lotor. But, Lance is not in his armor, so perhaps he is not interested in attacking him. Lotor hopes this means the lanky human has finally gotten used to his presence.

So he replies, “Of course.”

Lance leads Lotor down a series of corridors. It isn’t long before they enter the dining room. Once there, Lance, to Lotor’s dismay, pulls out his bayard and sets it down on the table before leaning against the furniture.

“I figured we needed to clear the air before this goes any further.” Lance says nonchalantly. “So what you’re going to do, is shut up and listen, okay?”

“What-“

“Shut up, and listen.” Lance orders. Lotor straightens at the malice that appeared in Lance’s tone.

“Everyone else may be willing to let bygones be bygones, but I’m not.” Lance growls. “You’ve tried to kill us multiple different times now. I see no reason why you wouldn’t try to slit our throats while we sleep. So consider this your only warning.”

The red bayard shifts to form a small pistol, without Lance bothering to touch it. “If you even try to put one toe out of line, I’ll space you faster than you can say quiznack.” He then picks up the pistol and holds it gently in his hands. Lance looks almost lazy, yet terrifying as he speaks. “Do you understand?”

Lotor wants to brush it off. To pretend the threat doesn’t affect him. But his voice quakes and fails him. He can only nod. The former Blue Paladin nods back, puts away his bayard, then leads Lotor back to the control room.

Throughout the entire briefing, Lotor sneaks peeks at Lance. He regrets it. Lance’s cerulean eyes are blazing with distrust. His gaze is heavy, and his body is tense. As if he’s ready to pounce.

Lotor tries to ignore it and focuses on the mission.

_(Lance’s eyes are a combination of determination and hate, with a hint of triumph. The scope of his gun is trained right between his eyes. Lotor wishes the pilot of the Red Lion would look away from him. Lotor doesn’t like feeling like trapped prey.)_

* * *

**_Coran_ **

Zarkon is dead. His hated sire, the first Black Paladin, is finally nothing more than dust. Nothing the witch can do will bring him back. He is gone.

Lotor never really had much of a connection to his birth father, so he feels nothing more than relief that the monster who plagued his life is gone. But judging from what little whispers he heard between the Princess and the Yellow Paladin, it seems the advisor knew his father once upon a time. Long before the quintessence rift on Daibazaal opened.

Lotor thought talking to Coran about Zarkon’s death might help him worm into the jolly man’s good graces. The advisor still looks at him with as much suspicion as Lance does, so this might be a chance to foster better ties.

Or, it would have been had he not been expected.

“I wondered when you would show up, Your Highness.” The last two words were clearly meant as a mockery, but Lotor let the insult slide.

“Good evening to you Coran.” He greets cordially. Lotor sits down in a nearby chair and swipes away the holoscreen when it turns on. He focuses all his attention on Coran, who’s stubbornly avoiding looking at the prince.

“Are you alright Coran?” Lotor tries. Comfort had never been his strong suit.

“I am fine, Your Highness.”

“Lying does not become you, good man.”

“Neither it does you.” Ouch. It was a well deserved burn, but still. Sure, Lotor was using Voltron for his own needs, but he has the best intentions! Lotor resolves to keep going.

“You have no regrets? I know you used to know Zarkon when Voltron was first created.”

Yikes. Judging by how fast the man went from red to prune and then back to his normal pale complexion, that had been the entirely wrong thing to say. Before he could open his mouth, Coran whips around.

“That thing was not Zarkon.” Coran bites out. “He and Honerva died 10,000 years ago. What you killed was a mockery of a great king.” The Altean then looks down and sighs. “But yes, I do have one regret.”

“And what is that?” Lotor asks, keeping his nervousness out of his voice.

“I never got the chance to strangle him.” Coran answers darkly. “I would have enjoyed taking vengeance for my king and queen.”

Silence reigns on the bridge as Coran returns to his work. The dark atmosphere clings to Lotor as he stares at the advisor. Lotor vows at that moment to never get on Coran’s bad side. Something tells him he wouldn’t survive.

_(The normally jolly advisor looks at him with nothing but pure loathing. The colonist is standing by him, and when Lotor turns his head to look at her, Coran’s mustache bristles and the man stands in front of her. Lotor tries not to step instinctively back. The aura of death around Coran makes Lotor want to run. It didn’t matter if the orange haired man had a weapon or not. He didn’t need one._

_Whoever said Coran wasn’t a Paladin of Voltron was very wrong. He was a deadly Lion like them; he just hid it better.)_

* * *

**_Pidge_ **

When Emperor Lotor and Princess Allura learn exactly what the other Paladins did with their free time, Allura seems ready to die of embarrassment. Lotor’s just stunned by the hacking skills of the Green Paladin. Sure, he knew Pidge was good, but to break though the sentry’s firewalls, run a virus to directly change its code, and have it stick without destroying the robot? And to do it under 15 dobashes? That had to be on a level of genius.

Once he assures Allura that no consequences would come to her wayward Paladins (no one got hurt, so why bother?) he sets out to find the Green Paladin. As entertaining as it was to hear about the misadventure, it was a waste of a sentry bot. Lotor would have to request she not to do it again.

When Lotor finds Pidge, she’s finishing up a phone call. Before the call shuts off, Lotor recognizes her older brother Matthew on screen. He briefly wonders how she managed to get a signal in this part of the quadrant. Even for the Emperor, this quadrant had a bad connection to the rest of the universe.

“I’m a girl of many talents.” Lotor starts before realizing he said his last thought aloud. He raises his eyebrow at her words before shaking his head.

“After what you managed to do to my sentry, I suppose I should not be surprised.” He says ruefully.

“What, the fun-bot?” Pidge tilts her head. “That was easy. It only took a few lines of code and a bit of brute force hacking to get it to work. Not my fastest time, but, like I said easy.”

“The sentries have bombs in them to prevent them from being used by hackers.” Lotor states bluntly.

“Really?” Pidge’s eyes light up. “I never had one blow up on me before. I’ll have to prepare a virus to specifically target the bomb in case we have to use an unfriendly sentry.”

She never knew there was a bomb in the first place? And she still wanted to keep hacking them anyway? “You are mildly frightening.” Lotor mumbles.

“Yes, yes I am.” Gold eyes twinkle as she smirks. “Lance thinks I’m going to take over Earth one day.”

“Your home planet?” Lotor clarifies. “Somehow, with your ability, I would not be surprised if you do manage to do so.”

Pidge lets out a harsh laugh. “Lotor, I’ll be honest: if I wanted you dead, you’d never see me coming.” She returns to her computer, typing fast on the keyboard. Lotor leaves the room in silence, unsure if the small human was joking, or legitimately warning him.

_(He decides she was warning him. Because with her green bayard flashing with electricity, he can’t see Pidge be anything but a threat. A threat that desperately wants to tear his throat out._

_She knows the pain of a lost brother. Lotor has no doubt Pidge will make him feel every ounce of pain the colonist felt when her brother died.)_

* * *

**_Hunk_ **

The Emperor of the Galra Empire reads over the reports from the labor planet Sendak attacked. He’s impressed. He never expected the Yellow Paladin to ever be able to lead like this. Lotor definitely didn’t expect the boy-no man- the Paladins affectionately call Hunk to verbally slap a commander and his second back to their duty.

Lotor decides he should learn a little more about Hunk. He does have a little free time before he needs to retire. It would do no good not to know the full capabilities of his allies. While he thinks he has a good read on the others, Hunk surprised him today. Time to find out more.

Eventually, Lotor finds Hunk in the kitchen of the Castle. It’s a complete mess. Ingredients are spread everywhere over the counters. Pots and pans are strewn everywhere. And Hunk is hovering over the stove carefully ladling what looks to be some kind of meat into the pot.

"Oh hey Lotor. Come on in." Hunk greets him without looking.

"Am I interrupting you?" Lotor asks.

"Nah, you're fine. I'm just trying out a new dish."

"What are you making?" Lotor leans to get a better look at the pot. While he has eaten many different cuisines while exiled to the far reaches of the Empire, he has never seen a dish look so orange before.

“It's meant to be Fricasé de Pollo.” Hunk answers. He explains at Lotor’s confused face. “It’s a kind of meat stew, from Lance’s hometown. He absolutely loves the stuff, and since he’s birthday is only a few movements away, I want to make a space version for him. I just need to figure out which spices are going to make it perfect.”

“Is it really that important?” Lotor questions. When Hunk gives him an outraged look, he hastens to elaborate. “I only mean that Lance seems quite happy with whatever you make.”

The outrage melts into understanding. “I get what your saying, but it’s important to me. I believe if you’re going to do something, it’s important that you do it right.” Hunk turns back to the stove takes a sip out of the pot. “Hmm, I wonder if we have space coriander.”

“Does this philosophy of yours extend to all things in life?”

“Oh yeah, it’s not just cooking.” Hunk rummages through the multiple spices. “I prefer it when people make a decision and stick to it. Ugh! That smells nasty!” He moves a can of grey powder out of the way. "Everything runs much more smoothly when people aren't indecisive."

"That was the source of your outburst at the Omega Shield?" Lotor knows this probably wasn't the best way to ask, but Hunk doesn’t seem to mind. The Yellow Paladin actually rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah, I guess I should explain that. I just hate it when people don't do their jobs like they're supposed to. The lieutenant back there had no right to go against his commander's decision, especially when he didn't have any better idea of what to do." Hunk dips his finger in a dark green powder and tastes it. "Blech! Definitely not that one.”

"So, your words at the radiation belt?"

"The commander and lieutenant really made me mad." Hunk gripes as he tries a pink spice. "Huh, this one has some potential." Hunk takes the container and liberally shakes in a handful of the spice into the pot. "If they weren't going to be useful, then they needed to get out of the way of the people who were."

Lotor's unease with the last sentence prompts him to ask: “What would you have done if they didn’t listen?”

“I would have asked who was the third person in command was, and told them to shoot the two or else incapacitate them.” Hunk explains calmly as he stirs the pot. “Then I would make sure the third would do his job before continuing the mission.”

“I see.” The room slightly spins under Lotor. He didn’t expect such a brutal answer. He thought Hunk would say something along the lines of trying again with reasoning with them. The true answer was...ruthless. Harsh. Decisive. He may have been raised in the Empire, but the Yellow Paladin’s answer turns his stomach.

He pushed himself away from the cabinets. “Thank you for your time, Hunk.” He didn’t stay long to hear Hunk call out a goodbye. Lotor just wants to put some distance between him and the suddenly menacing Yellow Paladin.

_(The cannon is pointed at him. One shot will rip him to wet, bloody shreds. The Yellow Paladin is a decisive creature. If something was going to be done, it would be done._

_Lotor firmly believed the act of killing was no different to Hunk than deciding what spices would go in a dish.)_

* * *

**_Shiro_ **

When one for his lieutenants brings word that the Black Paladin Shiro is at the Arena, Lotor becomes concerned. The man who brought him to the Kral Zera has always been a supporter of his since he allied with Voltron. It felt good to know the Champion was on his side.

However, time spent with the man has shown the scars of fighting went deeper than his skin. So for Shiro to be even near the Arena of his own free will is astounding and worrying. He dismisses the lieutenant before making his way there. Lotor finds Shiro sitting at the top row of the stands. His hands hold up his head and his grey eyes glare at the empty arena.

“I heard you were here,” Lotor said lightly. “But I hadn’t quite believed it to be true.”

Shiro’s head lifts up and his eyes soften. “Oh, hello Lotor.”

“What brings you here?” Lotor sits next to Shiro. “From what I understand, I think this is the last place you’d want to be.” Shiro looks back the Arena sadly.

“I really don’t want to be here.” The black and white haired human admits. “But I figured I had to face this place at some point.”

“I don’t think I understand.” Shiro studies him before murmuring something under his breath. He then begins telling Lotor everything.

From the mission to a moon just on the reaches of the human’s solar system, to entering the Arena, to escaping with the help of a now dead Blade of Marmora. Lotor learns of the terror and sacrifices Shiro made in and out of the Arena. He explains how he hates killing in the battlefield; how it reminds him of the deaths he caused for the Galra’s entertainment. He speaks of the nightmares he has had since then.

Lotor feels oddly honored to hear Shiro’s woes. Galra don’t talk about nightmares. As a whole, the society doesn’t admit to any kind of weakness. It’s anathema to them. It’s strange to be confided in such a way, and yet, Lotor appreciates this moment.

“I’ve got more scars than I care to count. I’ve got more blood on my hands than I care to admit. I know more about war than I’ve ever wished to know.” Shiro deflates as he ends his story with: “The worst part is it never lets you go.”

“What do you mean?”

“The instincts, the memories, they’re all still with me. In my head. I’ll always have them now.” Shiro sighed before looking back out the window. “I’ll always be prepared to fight for my life. I’ll always be ready to kill. I’ll be this way for the rest of my days.”

Lotor carefully looks at Shiro closely. He scans the human, noting the tense shoulders and the haunted eyes. Lotor is sure Shiro doesn’t even notice his robotic arm is twitching. In this moment, Shiro seems more like an injured beast than a man.

For now, the beast, the Champion, is sleeping. For now, the kind human known as Shiro has control. But that could change. Lotor has no desire to see it do so. He gently places a hand on the man’s shoulder. Shiro tenses.

“I know I cannot make up for the past, but I am glad you are here.” Lotor whispers. Shiro relaxes at the words.

“Thanks Lotor. I appreciate it.” The friendly smile on Shiro’s face makes Lotor feel warm.

He doesn’t understand why, but making Shiro proud suddenly becomes one of his priorities.

_(Lotor has disappointed Shiro. The friendly smile is gone. The eyes are no longer soft. The man before him is not the kind leader of Voltron. All that’s left is the Champion._

_Somehow, knowing he is the cause of the transformation makes something inside Lotor ache.)_

* * *

_**Allura** _

The Sincline ships are ready. Soon, Lotor will take them to Daibazaal and begin testing. Soon, unlimited quintessence will be at his command. All thanks to Princess Allura.

“I truly cannot thank you enough for the gift you have given me.” Lotor flatters her. He’s found that praising Allura’s strengths has made her more willing to listen to him. Not only that, but she has become a delightful companion. Dare he say it, she would make a lovely queen. But that was far into the future.

“I’m just glad the war can finally end.” Allura smiles at the thought. “There has been more than enough bloodshed.”

“Indeed.” Lotor agrees. “With the Sincline ships, there will be no need for any more.” He walks only a few steps before he realizes the Altean Princess is not following him. He turns around to see her contemplating the metal floor. She walks carefully to him and grips his forearm tightly.

“Lotor, I do have something to say.” She begins softly.

“Allura?” Lotor asks with concern. She jumps immediately into speech.

“For the longest time, I hated, no loathed, the Galran race as a whole. For what Zarkon did to Altea. For what the generations for 10,000 years did to other planets. I hated how the Galra got to live and my people died. I wanted to kill them all. I wanted nothing more than to bathe in blood of the Galra for so long, it feels like I’ve been this way forever.” There are tears appearing in Allura’s eyes, held back by sheer willpower. Lotor fancies he can feel her emotional pain for Altea.

“What’s worse is that I’m grateful my people are dead. At least they weren’t experimented on by the Galra. At least they didn’t die a slow, painful death as test subjects." The hand not holding onto him clenches up. “Every time I got to a planet and saw the aftermath of a Galra’s tyranny, I swore to avenge their pain.”

Lotor’s slightly scared now. Allura looks ready to kill, and he briefly wonders if he should stop her rant. Instead, her fist unclenches.

“But now I know, not all of the Galra are bad. Not all of the Galra deserve my hate.” Allura took a deep breath. “I think I’m ready to let go of my hate altogether. And you helped me reach this point.” She looks up to him with bright eyes. “So, thank you. Thank you for helping me let go Lotor.”

Lotor manages to school his face into a kind smile and says a few flowery words about how her thanks isn’t necessary. Once he gets her to laugh, he lets his composure slip for a bit.

Allura does not know their people live. She doesn’t know of the Alteans he found and sequestered away from the universe. She doesn’t know how Lotor used them to try and find a solution to quintessence before she awoke. Of the rather horrid experiments he did to them. He prays Allura will never find out about the Altean colony hidden within the Quantum Abyss.

_(She finds out. She quivers in rage. Her eyes are full of betrayal. Her fingernails draw blood as she throws him across the room. The impact knocks him out.)_

* * *

_**Lotor** _

He’s drunk on quintessence. It’s delicious, flooding his veins with power. He’s the most powerful being in the universe! Nothing can stop him, Emperor Lotor of the (soon to be) Altean Empire!

Then it’s too much. Far too much. He’s burning. His skin is flaking away. His blood is boiling. His hair is smoking. It’s too much pain and he wants it to stop-

But it won’t. The channel to Voltron is still open. Lotor hears them work to expel the extra quintessence they gathered. Expel all of that raw power into him. To burn him alive.

He can hear their cheers of encouragement, their growls of effort, their roars of triumph. They really are like the beasts they fly.

_The lion is a symbol of Altea’s Justice, but do not mistake it for a tame beast. If it wants to, it will eat you._

As he closes his eyes, Lotor wishes he listened to the warnings written in the book.

**Author's Note:**

> A few notes on this fic:
> 
> 1\. I don't know if this is angst or not, but I added the tag here just in case. Let me know if it's not and I'll take it down.
> 
> 2\. Lotor is the bad guy here, you can not change my mind on that. He's a narcissistic, manipulative man. However, he sees his actions as good and necessary, thus making himself the good guy. As they always say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
> 
> 3\. The Shiro in this fic is definitely a clone. However, Kuron was Shiro up until the point Haggar made him do some shitty things. He trusted Lotor and at some points in the show, I could see the two being friends. That's why Shiro was so open with Lotor, and that's why Lotor felt as he did at the end. Shiro was probably the only real friend that Lotor had without conditions or strings attached, and Lotor failed Shiro. It hurts him to know the friendship is gone.
> 
> 4\. I tried my best to keep everyone as in character as possible (and my beta says i did a good job), but man, Pidge and Hunk really gave me a run for my money! Let me know how I did!
> 
> 5\. Damn right I had fun writing Coran. The man has a dark side that he will unleash on you if you try anything. We saw that back in the Season 1 finale. Space Uncle will wreck your shit if you try anything.
> 
> Anyway, please leave comments down below, they are like dragon nip to me! And flames will be used to cook bacon because that's my favorite breakfast food.
> 
> -NIGHTFURY


End file.
